Chick box



J. G. HUY-E CHICK Box.

Filed July 24, 1944 March 11, 1947.

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TF'OGCDO" Patented Mar. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CHICK BOX Joseph G. Huye, New Orleans, La.

Application July 24, 1944, Serial No. 546,280

3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to paste-board or paperboard chick boxes foruse in shipping young chicks, usually day old chicks, from a hatchery tocustomers over a relatively wide area as is now common practice, and hasprimarily in mind an of crushing or bend ng the supports of boxes orsmothering their chick contents, it being noted it is usual to pack orship as many as 200 chicks in one box divided 50 chicks to eachcompartment; to provide a strong support or platform positivelyinterlocked with the box top at a number of points spaced from eachother both lengthwise and transversely of the individual supports orplatforms to distribute the transmitted load over a wide area of thecorner portion of the box top and to brace the support against strains,pressures and jars from all directions to prevent its collapse, ruptureor separaton from the box top; to provide such platforms and the boxtops of such construction that they may be qui kly interlocked togethersimply by manual manipulation and without employing any adhesive,stitching or other securement means beyond the interlocking portions ofthe supports and box tops; to provide such supports or platforms of suchconstruction that they may be shipped and stored fiat and folded orerected into set-up condition and snapped into tightly interlockingengagement with the corresponding portions of a box top when needed foruse; to provide a hollow and perforated support structure to cooperatewith the corresponding portions of the box top and openings in said boxtop port-ions to ventilate the outer comer portions of the box whilefirmly interlocking with said portions and providing strongnon-deformable supports or platforms; and to provide a construction ofsupport or platform that particularly lends itself to large quantityproduction methods entirely by sheet material stamping operations on avery economical basis and which may be easily and quickly erected andapplied with a minimum of time and effort.

in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a box embodying the preferredform of my invention;

Figure 2, a top plan view thereof, with one corner portion of the top Bbroken away;

Figure 3, a side elevation thereof, with one corner portion of the top Bbroken away;

Figure 4, a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Figure 5, a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Figure 6, an exploded view of one of the supports or platforms and thecooperating corner portion of the cover B, with the interlocking tonguesand fingers of the platform or support positioned to be received by thecorresponding slots and openings in such cooperating corner portion ofcover B; and

Figure 7, a plan view of a support or platform in its fiat or blank formcondition as shipped and stored.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, A designates the box body; Bthe box top; and C the usual partitions dividin the interior of the boxinto four compartments, as is usual. The sides of the bodyA and the topB of the box will preferably be formed with a plurality of ventilatingholes or perforations D over areas spaced from the corners, it beingusual to leave the corner portions imperforate to maintain the strengthand rigidity of the box. This practice, however, has resulted and doesresult in risk of insufl'icient vent'lation in the outer corner portionsof the box, having in mind the fact that the ChlfkS are prone to collectand pile in the corners with the risk of smothering some particularly ifthere is any lack or insufficiency of ventilation.

Similarly the partitions C will be formed throughout their length andheight with a plurality of such perforations D in accordance with usualpresent day practice to provide for free flow of air at all pointsbetween adjacent compartments.

While the box bodies A and tops B may be of any known usual orconventional construction, they preferably will be of a folding orknockdown set-up construction so that they may be shipped and stored ina flat state to conserve shipping and storing space and in theembodiment illustrated the bodies A and tops B are of the constructionshown or described in my Patent No. 2,193,925 granted March 19, 1940,being an interlocked corner construction.

The individual supports or platforms comprise or consist of a top panelI, with side flanges 3 integral therewith and folding verticallydownward at right angles thereto along fold lines 2 and end flanges 5integral with the panel I and similarly folding vertically downward atright angles thereto along fold lines 4, said end flanges 5 each havingintegral with each of its sides a bracing and support tab I foldinginward in a horizontal plane at right angles to its corresponding endflange 5 along the corresponding fold line 6 to lie parallel with eachother and substantially parallel to and substantially in contact withthe respective inner faces of the respective end and medial portions ofthe respective side flanges 3, such tabs! being of such length that inthe erected condition of the support or platform they will extendapproximately to the adjacent wall of the ventilating opening D in theircorresponding side flange 3, but will approximately clear such openingto allow f unobstructed ventilation therethrough.

The end flanges each have preferably integral therewith preferablycentrally located fingers 9 depending vertically from the lower edges ofthe respective flanges 5 in the erected condition of the support orplatform and received in the corresponding long narrow slots 8 of thecorresponding corner portion of the box top B in the applied relation ofthe support or platform to the top B, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

The side flanges 3 each have preferably integral therewith preferablycentrally located tongues II depending vertically from the lower edgesof the respective side flanges 3 in the erected condition of the supportor platform and received in the long and wide cooperating openings [0,each of which has a long inner side and a shorter outer side wall whichregisters or substantially registers, in the associated relation of theparts, with the outer face of the corresponding side flange 3, thedifference in length between the inner and outer sides or walls of therespective openings I0 resulting in the leaving or forming of lockingcorners I2, as shown in Figures 2 and 6. The respective end portions ofthe tongues II are horizontally notched out to form end locking tabs I3,the upper wall of such notches being in the same plane as, andcontinuations of the lower edges of the side flanges 3 respectively, andin the applied relation of the parts the locking corners I2 respectivelyare received in such notches respectively and have their lower facesengaged by, or overlying, the upper edge faces of the respective lockingtabs I3.

The end tabs 1 of the end flanges 5 will preferably be of the same Widthas the side flanges 3 so as to engage the lower face of the panel I andthe upper face of the box top B in the applied relation to contributepositively to the bracing and supporting of the panel I and to thestiffening of the support as a unit and also, by substantially its fulllength engagement with the box top B to maintain the end flange withwhich it is integral perpendicular to the box top B and the panel I orsubstantially perpendicular to the panel I.

The side flanges 3 as interlocked with the box top B will confine theend tabs I of the respective end flanges 5 against their inherenttendency to spread laterally due to the resiliency along the fold line 6to maintain them substantially parallel to each other and substantiallyparallel to, and substantially in engagement with the area of theopposed inner faces of the respective side panels 3, and said tabs I inturn due to such inherent resiliency and tendency to spread laterallyoutwardly away from each other will shove outwardly against therespective side flanges 3 and maintain the locking tabs I3 verticallybeneath the locking corners I2 or the laterally outer face of therespective tongues II against the face of the outer short walls of therespective wide openings ID.

The fingers 9 depending from the end flanges 5 and received snugly inthe openings 8 which preferably are only of such length as to justsnugly receive such fingers 9 will prevent any movement in a directionlaterally of the support by the support with relation to the box top Band will efliciently resist any twisting strain tending to move thesupport with relation to the box top B, thus cooperating with thesupport as a whole to relieve the locking tongues ll of any lateral ortwisting influences, and the inner edges of the notches in the tonguesII in cooperation with the adjacent faces of the locking corners I2 willeffectively resist any shoves or strains in a direction parallel to theside flanges 3, thus relieving the fingers 9 from stresses exerted inthat direction.

To apply a support to a corner portion of the box top B it is simplynecessary to take a support in its flat state as shown in Figure 7, foldthe end tabs 1 along their respective fold lines 6 to project from thesame side of, and perpendicular to, their respective end flanges 5, thenfold the respective end flanges 5 toward each other along theirrespective fold lines 4 until the edges of the tab 1 engage the opposedface of the panel I, then fold the side flanges 3 toward each otheralong their respective fold lines 2 until perpendicular, orapproximately perpendicular, to the panel I, when the support will be inerected condition or form as illustrated in perspective in Figure 6 andin cross-section in Fig. 4 and iongitudinal section in Figure 5, andthereafter the support is snapped into position on the corner of the boxtop B, the lower ends of the fingers 9 being aligned with the slots 8and the locking tabs I3 of the locking tongues II pressed or bentslightly inward to clear the locking corners I2 and the support orplatform as a whole pressed toward the box top B until the lower edgesof the sides 3, end flanges 5 and tabs I rest on the upper face of thebox top B with the fingers 9 in their cooperating slots 8 and thetongues II in their cooperating openings I0 with their outer facessubstantially in engagement with the corresponding short outer walls ofsaid openings, when the locking tabs I 3, due to the inherent slightresiliency of the paste-board or paperboard or corrugated board or othermaterial from which they are stamped, will spring back to straightposition, that is, in line with the rest of their respective lockingtongues I I, and will lie respectively beneath the respective lockingcorners I2.

The large area of the openings I2 will accommodate the thickness ofmaterial of the neck portion of the locking tongues I I respectivelybetween the adjacent end walls of the respective locking corners I2 andstill leave a relatively large unobstructed ventilating area incommunication with the interior of the individual support or platform,the ventilating holes or perforations D through the side flanges 3providing for communication between the interior and exterior of saidsupports, whereby provision is made for the efficient ventilation of theextreme outer corner portions of the interior of the chick box withoutweakening the corner construction of the box top due to the shape andposition and location of the ventilating openings I0 and to the largeoutline edgewise contact of the support with the box top B.

While it is preferred that the panel I, side flanges 3 with theirlocking tongues II and their locking tabs I3 and the end flanges 5 withtheir side tabs 1 and fingers 9 all be stamped from one integral pieceof corrugated paper board or paper-board or paste-Board and this isnecessary to my invention considered in a restricted sense to obtain theadvantages of low cost of manufacture which is of considerableimportance in devices of this nature, it is not essential to myinvention, considering it in its broad aspects, that there be end tabssuch as l, or that they or other portions be integral with each other orwith the panel I, nor is it essential that the size and shape of theventilation openings l2, or the locking flanges II and locking tonguesl3, or the ventilation openings or perforations D or the fingers 9 andthe cooperating slots 8 or the end flanges 5 or side flanges 3 be asshown and described, it being sufficient if they be of such size, shapeand construction as to cooperate to serve the functions in accordancewith the conception of the invention as above indicated.

I claim:

1. A chick box structure comprising a cover havin corner portions eachformed with a pair of spaced slots and a pair of spaced wide openingsdisposed between and at right angles to said slots, said openings havingeach a long inner wall and a shorter outer wall, the outer portions ofthe end walls of said openings being disposed at an abrupt angle to saidshorter outer wall and then flaring to the adjacent ends of said innerlong wall to form lock corners, in combination with hollow ventilatingspacing supports respectively interlocked with the respective cornerportions of said cover, each said support comprising a top panel, endflanges respectively integral with and depending at approximately rightangles from the respective end portions of said panel, side tabsrespectively integral with and extending inwardly at approximately rightangles from the respective side portions of the respective end flangesand being substantially of the same height as said end flanges, fingersrespectively integral with and depending from the respective end flangesand received by the respective slots of a corner portion of said coverside flanges respectively integral with and depending from therespective side portions of said panel and being substantially of thesame height as said end flanges, locking tongues respectively integralwith and depending from the respective side flanges and received by therespective spaced openings of said cover corner portion, and lockingtabs respectively integral with said respective locking tongues andextending beneath the respective locking corners.

2. A chick box structure comprising a cover having corner portions eachformed with a pair of spaced slots and a pair of spaced wide openingsdisposed between and at right angles to said slots, said openings eachhaving a long inner wall and a shorter outer wall, the outer portions ofthe end walls of said openings being disposed at an abrupt angle to saidshorter outer wall and then flaring to the adjacent ends of said innerlong wall to form lock corners, in combination with hollow ventilatingspacing supports respectively interlocked with the respective cornerportions of said cover, each said support comprising a top panel, endflanges respectively depending at approximately right angles from therespective end portions of said panel, side tabs respectively extendinginwardly at approximately right angles from the respective side portionsof the respective end flanges and being substantially of the same heightas said end flanges, fingers respectively depending from the respectiveend flanges and received by the respective slots of a corner of saidcover, side flanges respectively depending from the respective sideportions of said panel, locking tongues respectively depending from therespective side flanges and received by the respective openings of saidcover corner portion, and locking tabs respectively extending from saidrespective locking tongues beneath the respective locking corners.

3. A chick box structure comprising a cover having corner portions eachformed with a pair of spaced slots and a pair of spaced wide openingsdisposed between and at right angles to said slots, said openings eachhavin along inner wall and a shorter outer wall, the outer portions ofthe end walls of said openings being disposed at an abrupt angle to saidshorter outer wall and then flaring to the adjacent ends of said innerlong wall to form lock corners, in combination with hollow ventilatingspacing supports respectively interlocked with the respective cornerportions of said cover, each said support comprising a top panel, endflanges respectively depending at approximately right angles from therespective end portions of said panel, fingers respectively dependingfrom the respective end flanges and received by the respective slots ofa corner portion of said cover, side flanges respectively depending fromthe respective side portions of said panel, locking tongues respectivelydepending from the respective side flanges and received by therespective openings of said cover corner portion, and locking tabsrespectively extending from said respective locking tongues beneath therespective locking corners.

JOSEPH G. HUYE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,966,672 Lang July 17, 19341,706,804 Miller Mar. 26, 1929 2,113,097 Schaefer Apr. 5, 1938 2,331,867Marshall Oct. 12, 1943

